Calvary @ Lutheran 5/2/12

 Lights Out for the Knight

Once again, solid pitching was the key as two Calvary pitchers combined for
their second consecutive shutout by defeating the Lutheran Knights 7-0 in
Citrus League action.

Sophomore lefty David Carpenter got the start and threw 5 solid innings
allowing 4 hits, walking none and striking out 12. Carpenter picked up the
win and Russell Harmening earned his 3rd save by tossing 2 innings of
hitless relief.

At the halfway point in league play, Calvary sits alone at the top of the
pack with a 4-0 record. Their pitching staff has yet to allow a run in
league play.

Calvary's offense was a bit sluggish on the day, they started nicely by
scoring one run in each of the first two innings before breaking it open in
the final inning when they scored 5.

In the first, junior Caleb Whitley hit a deep liner that bounced over the
left field fence for a one-out ground rule double. He scored the game's
first run when Calvary's hottest hitter Russell Harmening lined an RBI
single to left.

They added another in the second when Connor Kollenda and David Carpenter
hit back-to-back line shot doubles into the left field gap.

Calvary was held scoreless over the next 4 innings by Lutheran starter
Jordan Kirby, who was nowhere near over-powering, but he effectively worked
the top of the strike zone and coerced Calvary hitters into 13 pop-ups or
fly ball outs.

The score remained a tight 2-0 coming into the 7th before finally breaking
it open. Carpenter singled and stole second to start the rally and Whitley
drew a walk putting runners on 1st and 2nd. Lutheran saved themselves two
runs when centerfielder Johnny Iverson made a great running catch when Matt
Hartman smoked a deep liner over his head. Harmening then stepped up and
lined a one-hopper that handcuffed the second baseman who knocked the ball
down but it squirted away far enough the allow Carpenter to score and
Whitley to advance to third. A balk scored Whitley and advanced Harmening to
second. Things then fell apart for Lutheran as they walked 3 consecutive
hitters and made two errors. Calvary ended up with a total of 5 runs in the
inning with the fifth scoring on a Sam Hebert sacrifice fly.

Calvary moves to 19-5 overall and take on the last-place Ocean View Patriots
in an away game on Friday.